Knitted cap



D. HUTTON Oct. 18, 1938.

KNITTED CAP Filed April 22, 1957 Patented Oct. 18, 1938 if UNITED STATES KNrrTED CAP David Hutton, St. Paul, Minn., assigner to Straus Knitting Mills, St. Paul, Minn., a. copartnership Application April 22, 1937, Serial No. 138,891

2 Claims.

It is an object of this invention to provide in a knitted cap a novel combination of expansible crown and relatively inelastic ear muifs and face and neck covering members having the advantages of close t and secure adherence to the head while avoiding the disadvantages of ordinary knit caps such as undue stretching, distortion and bulk around the neck of the wearer.

A further object is to provide a novel knitted cap of this class adapted' to be worn in either of three different positions, namely, with .the ear Inuifs and neck covering members retracted around the crown o-f the cap, or partially extended to cover the ears, or fully extended to cover the ears, neck and greater portion of the face of the wearer, the cap in the last mentioned position being snugly held in place by a chin fastening.

Ano-ther object is to p-rovide an improved arrangement of visor and stiifening member therefor in a knitted cap.

Other objects Will appear and be more fully pointed out in the following specification and claims.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the best form of my device at present known tome:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the cap as seen from one side;

Fig. 2 is a perspective, front view of my improved cap, and

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, but with the ear muifs and face and neck covering members in the extended positions.

The cap has a crown portion consisting of a double thickness of loose knit yarn, the outer layer being indicated by the numeral 4 and the lining by the numeral 5. The outer layer and lining are integral along a fold 6 (Fig. 3) extending around the lower rim of the crown. A visor stifiening member 1 is enclosed in the knit fabric 8, the latter being integral with the lining 5 and outer layer 4. The stiffening member I is inserted between the layers o-f knit fabric through a top opening which is thereafter closed by a seam 3.

'I'he combined ear muifs and neck and face covering members comprise strips I and II of rack knit yarn of single thickness. The strip I0 is secured by a seam I2 to the crown along the fold B and the strip II extends in parallel relation to the strip I0 and is attached thereto along the longitudinal free edge of the strip IIJ by a seam I3. 'I'he strip II projects at its front edge to afford fastening tabs I4 to be secured under the chin of the wearer. Each of these tabs has a buttonhole I near its free end and spaced from this .buttonhole is a button I6 on each tab to afford a fastening with the buttonhole in the op'- posite tab.

Secured tothe crown above the visor is a reinforcing band I1 preferably constructed from rack knit yarn. A pair of buttons I8 are secured to the band I'I in such position as to be inserted in the buttonholes I5 of the tabs I4 when the strips I() and II are folded to their retracted positions indicated in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be noted that each of the strips I0 and I I is constructed from a single thickness of rack knit yarn as is the reinforcing band I 'I. This renders these members less elastic than the loose knit crown and imparts a desirable rmness and adequate Warmth to them while reducing their thickness or bulk as compared with a double thickness of suitable knit material or fabric. A single band may be substituted for the strips Il! and II, thus eliminating the seam I3.

In use the cap may be Worn with the strips I 0 and II in their retracted positions indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 in which case the strip and band II reduce the elasticity of the crown opening or rim to a desirable degree. They thus prevent undue stretching and distortion of the crown.

When ear muifs only are desired, the rear, lower edge of the strip II is merely grasped and pulled down to a position like that indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, Without releasing the tabs I4 from the buttons I8. When the maximum protection is desired, the buttonholes I5 are disengaged from the buttons I8 and the strips I0 and II are lowered by unfolding along the seams I2 and I 3. The strips are finally secured in their down- Wardly extended position by fastening one of the buttons I6 into the buttonhole of the opposite tab I4. Obviously, suitable snap fasteners may be substituted for the buttons I6 and I8 and buttonholes I5, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

By providing a stiffened Visor for a knit cap I increase the protection afforded to the wearer, facilitate the handling of the cap and impart style and character thereto without materially increasing the cost thereof. The operation of inserting the stiffening member 'I between the thicknesses of loose knit material is a simple one and such material is so elastic that it readily conforms to the stiffeningand retains the latter firmly in place. The cap illustrated herein has the crown constructed partially from half cardigan knit material and partially from rib knit material properly blended to produce a unitary fabric with the half cardigan knit visor material, but it will be understood that other loose types of stitching may be employed therein such as the full cardigan, jacquard, shaker or double tuck types, all of which are relatively loose and elastic as compared to the rack knit stitch.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A knitted cap having a crown formed from two thicknesses of loose knit material, a visor portion integral with said crown and comprising two thicknesses of sai-d material, a strip secured to the rear and side portions of the crown at the normally lower edge thereof and adapted to be folded upon the outer surface of the crown, a second strip extending in parallel relation to said first mentioned strip and united thereto along the free edge of the same, the line of union of said rst and second strips constituting a fold line for the strips, tab extensions on the front ends of said second strip, said extensions and strips being rack knitted and each comprising a single thickness of material and means carried by said extensions and crown for securing said strips in folded position around the crown or in extended position, beneath the chin of the wearer.

2. A knitted cap having a crown formed from two thicknesses of loose knit yarn material, a visor portion integral with said crown, a stiffening member enclosed in said visor portion, a strip secured to the rear and side portions of the crown at the normally lower edge thereof and adapted to be folded upon the outer surface of the crown and to extend downward from the edge thereof. tab extensions on the front ends of said strip, said extensions and strip being rack knitted. a front reinforcing band of relatively inelastic material secured to and extending across the front portion of said crown above the Visor, and means carried by said extensions and front reinforcing band for securing said strip in folded position around the crown and in extended position beneath the chin of the wearer.

DAVID HU'I'ION. 

